Grain-spout holder



2 Sheets-Sheet D ece used By, BENJA MIN R. HOWELL E wecuvors lgzf r o a n e w I R BERT R. HOWELL MAR 6A R57 6 TOKES JOHN F?. HOWELL H TTORNE'J/S R. R. HOWELL GRAIN SP OUT HOLDER Filed July 11, 1927 March 4, 1930.

bers, as well as the arrangement of this ad- Patented Mar. 4, 1930 'UNITED" STATES PATENT oFr cE ROBERT IRh HOWELL, DECEASED, LATE F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, BY BENJAMIN R. HOWELL AND MARGARET STOKES, BOTH OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AND JOHN R. HOWELL, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, EXEOU'EQES V GRAIN-SPOUT HOLDER Application filed July 11, 1927. Serial No. 205,021.

This invention relates to improvements in spout holders, such as are used n grain car loading, the device being generally attached to the box car, and having an adjustable means attachable to the grain spout for the purpose "of manipulating the nozzle end of the spoutto evenly distribute the grain.

Objects of the invention are to provide means which'maybe conveniently attached to the cross-bar or other support at the door of the car; to provide means for adjustably Se. curing and for giving universaladjusting motions-"to .a rod which is secured to'the grain delivery spout or chute ;-to provide means for swinging the rod; to provide manually operable spout swinging means which can be adjusted or'set and which will then remain in adjustedposition, without further attention from the operator; to provide means whereby the chute-carrying rod can be instantly adjusted to extend to a. greater or less distance within the car; and to provide a cheap, rigid construction, which'has certain advantages as to arrangement of its parts. i 7

Features of the invention include the general arrangement of the parts, as well as all detailsof construction, including the manner of arranging the operating member in a manner to move with one of the adjusting memjusting member to lie at the inner side of the car when in operation. 1

Advantages, other features and objects of the invention will be set forth in the descrip tion of the drawings forming a part of this application and in said drawings- Figure-1 isa transverse view through a car showing the spout manipulator in operating position, with its rod connected with the spout; f

Figure'Q is a plan section substantially on line 22 of Figure 4;

Figure3 is a vertical section substantially on line 33 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is an elevation taken from the inner side of the device, showing the rod in section; and

'Figure 5 is a detailed transverse section through the rod and adjusting and supporting device therefor taken substantially on line 5-50]? Figure 3.

A base is generally indicated at 1 and includes a vertically disposed cylindrical portion 2 having at its lower end a tangentially arranged horizontally disposed L-shaped structure as a bracket 3, comprising vertical and horizontal portions, the horizontal portion adapted to rest upon the top of the rail or support and the vertical portion adapted to engage the corresponding portion of the sup- .port 5, see Figure 1. The bracket 3 extends laterally at each side of the bearing-forming element 2, and is provided with horizontal guides upon its top, see Figures 3 and 4. The base is an integral structure as a casting.

Slidable within each guide isa clamping arm 12 having a vertical portion 13 adapted to lie at the inner side of the support, said portion having an inwardly projecting spur 14 and the vertical portion of said bracket 3 also having .an inwardly projecting spur 15, see Figure 3. Pivotally attached transversely of and to the rails at their outer ends, as shown in Figure 2, is an element having a central threaded bore'26. l vith these threads is engaged a clamping screw 27 having a hand wheel 28. The inner end of the screw impinges the tubular portion 2 ,as shown at 30. l/Vhen the screw travels inwardly the bracket- 3 and arm 4 act to clamp the device.

' Rotatably mounted upon the base is a head generally indicatedat 40, which head has a cylindrical extension or shaft 41 rotatably engaged Within the tubular member or socket 2.- The lower end of this shaft 41 extends below the socket, and a washer 45 backed by a split key 46 traversing the shaft 41 secures said shaft 41.against vertical movement. The base ,isv provided with a segmental gear 50 and in this instance a worm gear is used. The gear is a separate piece secured as by rivets 51 flatly upon the top of the flange 52 of the piece 2. The head, as a casting, see Figures 2 and 4, provides two spaced horizontal arms 53, the outer ends of which are bored to provide journals for a shaft 55 carrying a pinion 56, as a worm meshing with the gear 50. By using worm gears the head can be rotatively adjusted and is held in adjusted position without further attention on the part of the operator. The shaft 55 is extended and formed to provide a crank 58. This crank, when the device is in use, normally lies at the inner side of the car as shown in Figure 1. It will be noted that the crank moves with the head. Thus the means for swinging the head on its vertical axis is carried by the head itself. The head is provided with an upper extension 60 which, in this instance, is circular and has its inner face radially serrated as indicated at 61, this serrated portion being cooperable with the corresponding teeth 65 of a rod-supporting member 63, having formed laterally thereof a tubular element 7 4 providing a bore 75, to slidably receive the rod 76. The head is provided with a bore 67, and the socket element is provided with a tubular projection 68, the bore forming a bearing and the tubular projection 68 forming a journal rotatable in the bearing. Means isprovided for causing the serrated portions to cooperate to prevent rotation of the member 63 after adjustment, see Figure 5, and this means includes a threaded member 68 having a hand wheel 69, the said member having threaded engagement with a bore 7 O of the socket piece. The axis of the bore 75 of the element 63 is at a right angle to the axis of adjustment of the element 63 with the head. lVithin this bore is slidably arranged the rod 76, the outer end of which is attached in any suitable manner as at 77 to the chute or spout 78, the latter having a suitable nozzle 79. It will be understood that the opposite end of the spout is connected with the grain elevator in a manner to deliver grain. At the top of theelement 63 is a clamping lever 80 pivoted as at 81 between the portions 82. This clamping lever has a projection 83 which extends downwardly through a slot 84 into the bore 75. Thus, this portion 83 is engageable with the rod 76. A spring 85 tends to throw the lever in the direction of the arrow, see Figure 3, to cause the rough ened end of the projection 83 toengage the rod to clamp the same. The tube/. 4 is arranged laterally of the vertical rotative axis of the head. The clamping lever is drawn toward the operator to'release.

Means is thus provided whereby the horizontal swinging motion of the spout may be had, and whereby its vertical angular relation may be adjusted. I

It will be noted that the worm gear faces upwardly, and this provides a construction whichwill hold grease to better advantage than when the gear is faced downwardly, or when a spur gear is used.

Another advantage is that when the device is operating as shown in Figure 1, a portion of the rod 76 extends outwardly from the car to form a grip. The operator grasps this portion with one hand and operates the crank 58 with the other hand. Inasmuch as the crank and worm gear which it operates are mounted for movement with the head, it will be seen that both hands or arms move with the head as it is rotated. The arrangement of the pinion and crank at the inner side places these elements unobstructedly, relative to the base and to the means for clamping the base, the construction thus being very compact, It willbe noted that the socketfor receiving the rod lies laterally of the pivotal axis of the head, on the same side with the operating crank.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A grainv spout adjuster comprising a base having a worm gear thereon facing upwardly, a head rotatably mounted upon the base, and having a crank-operable pinion carried by, the head and engaging and meshing with the gear from above, and a spout rod held by said head, the arrangement being such that when the hands respectively hold the rod, andoperate the pinion, both hands move withthe rotatably mounted head.

2. A grain spout adjuster comprising a base having a worm gear facing upwardly, a head rotatably mounted upon the base and having'a rod-supporting element adjustable thereon, a crank mounted in the head and having a pinion connected therewith, and meshing with the worm gear, and a rod traversing said rod-supporting element, and having one end overlying the worm gear to be grasped by the hand, the arrangement being such that when said rod is grasped by one hand, and-the crank is grasped and operated by the other, both hands move in unison with the rotatable head.

3. A base having means to clamp it to a support and having an uprightportion providing an upright socket, a gear segment carried by the upright portion concentric with the socket axis, a head including an extension rotatable within the socket, said head having a flat surface substantially parallel with the axis of the socketand lying above the socket, a gear journaled horizontally upon the head and having a laterally extending crank for operating it, said gear meshing with the first mentioned gear, an element flatly engaging the flatsurface of the head the base and having a crank-operable pin ion lying at one side of its axis and meshing with the gear, a rod supported upon the head,

and having means for attachment to a spout,

for"

ilo

said attaching means lying on the same side f the axis of rotating of the head as the crank-operable pinion. v In Witness whereof, We have hereunto set our hands this 1st day of July, 1927.

' BENJAMIN R. HOWELL,

MARGARET STOKES, 7 JOHN R. HOWELL, Eweeutors of the Estate of Robert R. Howell, 10 Deceased. 

